Ball projecting mechanism



'Mamh 1958 H. F. ROTHE BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1953 R Q T N E V W ATTORNEY T "my R March 18, 1958 H. F. ROTHE BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11', v 1953 imquuLm ENVENTOR HUGO F. GTE

ATTORNEY H. F. ROTHE BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM March 1, 1958 5 She'cs-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 11, 1953 INV amen ATTORNEY March 18, 1958 H. F. ROTHE BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 11. 1953 7 INVENTOR HUGQ F. RQTHE 9w m m ATTGRNEY ,March 18, 1958 H. F. ROTHE BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 11. 1953 INVENTOR HUGO F. ROTHE ATTORNEY United States BALL PROJECTING MECHANISM Hugo F. Rothe, Lincoln Park, Mich.

Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 397,524

3 Claims. (Cl. 124-1) This invention relates to game apparatus and more particularly to a game board or table having at one end an upright target and at the opposite end a key operated propelling mechanism for propelling a ball through the air towards the target.

It is an object of the invention to provide a target comprising a casing having a series of openings to receive balls, with traps for retaining the balls in full view of the player and means operable to simultaneously release the balls and return them to the game board or table.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a ball propelling mechanism comprising a key board for operating a'series of levers or bats to propel a ball through the air towards a target, the keys being individually actuated by the fingers of the player to selectively operate the ball propelling levers or bats.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a game table having a target at one end and a ball propelling mechanism at the opposite end with a plastic hood or cover enclosing the game table and target so as to retain the balls within the area of the game table.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the game table,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 5, and,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the game table which comprises a rectangular frame 6 supported at each end by legs 7. Mounted within the frame 6 is a plane board 8 supported by cross members 9, the board being inclined downwardly from the rear end of the table towards the front end. A panel 10 of transparent material is mounted in the board, intermediate its length, and disposed beneath the panel is a series of electric lamps 11 mounted on a supporting member 12 which also supports a reflector 13 which directs the light rays from the lamps through the panel 10 to illuminate the game board. A compartment 14 is formed at the front end of the table beneath the plane of the board 8 by a transverse partition wall 15 and bottom wall 16 extending between the Wall 15 and front wall 17 of the frame 6. A series of keys 18 are pivotally mounted, intermediate their ends, on a rod 19 extending transversely of the compartment 14. A panel 20 extending transversely of the frame 6 is disposed above the keys 18 forward of the rod 19 and has a felt strip 21 along its lower edge in contact with the upper face of the keys. Mounted in the wall 16 in vertical alinement with the panel 20 is a strip of soft rubber 22 in contact with the lower face of the keys which normally holds the keys in a horizontal plane but allows the keys to be depressed under pressure. The upper faces of the keys at their forward ends are covered With plastic strips 23 and the rear ends have their upper faces beveled, as at 24, for engagement with a series of pivoted levers or bats 25 which have blocks of soft rubber 26 mounted in their lower edge for contact with the ends of the keys. The levers or bats 25 are pivotally mounted at one end on a rod 27 disposed adjacent to and in parallel relation to partition wall 15. The opposite ends of the levers are supported on a ledge 28 formed in the panel 24? which is covered with a strip of felt 29. The levers 25 are separated by a series of vertical partitions 30 having their upper edges in the same plane and contiguous with the upper surface of the board 8 to serve as tracks to receive and support balls 31 constructed of soft rubber or other suitable material. The upper edges of the partitions constituting the tracks for the balls have shoulders 32 formed therein to properly position the balls and rubber buffers 33 disposed between the partitions 3t limit the upward movement of the levers 25 when moved to striking position.

The target is mounted at the rear end of the game table and comprises an upright casing 34 having front and rear walls 35 and 36, and inclined bottom wall 36' contiguous with the upper surface of board 8, the front wall being provided with a series of large openings 37 and smaller openings 38 and 39. At the lower edge of the front Wall is a transparent plastic strip 4% that extends forward and downward from the wall to form a cover for a horizontal ledge 41 extending the width of the casing. The ledge 41 is adapted to receive the balls that enter openings 38 and 39, the balls being directed to the ledge by vertical chutes 42 and 43 formed in the casing. The open spaces between the chutes with which the large openings 37 communicate are normally closed by trap doors 44 which are pivotally mounted on shaft 45. The lower half of the trap doors is formed of transparent plastic material, as at 46, which extends the full width of the casing and retains the balls that enter openings 37 and drop on the inclined bottom 36. The inclined bottom 36 is divided by a series of partitions 47 and the upper portion of the trap doors 44' on their front faces have central partitions 48 projecting above the ledge 41 which limit the movement of the balls down the inclined faces 49 of the ledge. The trap doors 44 are normally disposed in a vertical plane and are actuated by connecting rods 56 connected at one end to brackets 51 attached to the rear face of the doors. The connecting rods extend through openings in the bottom wall 36 and at their opposite ends are connected to a crank arm 52 extending from a rotatable shaft 53 mounted below the bottom wall 36. An arm 54 depends from the center of shaft 53 having its end bifurcated to engage over a rod 55 between collars 56 fixedly mounted on the rod. The rod 55 extends longitudinally of the game table and is slidably mounted in partition wall 15 and front wall 1'7 of the table having a hand knob 57 mounted on its forward end beyond the wall 17 for operating the rod. A coil spring 53 is mounted on rod 55 between wall 15 and a collar 59 fixed on the rod which normally holds the rod in a retracted position. When rod 55 is pulled forward by knob 57 the shaft 53 is rotated which through crank arms 52 and connecting rods 58 swings the trap doors 44- to open position. The target and game table is completely enclosed by a transparent hood or cover 6% which confines the balls within the area of the game table.

To play the game, the player actuates the keys 18 with his fingers and upon depressing a key one of the levers or bats 25 is swung upwardly to strike a ball supported by partitions 3t and propel the ball through the air to- 2,827,034 it n y wards the target at the opposite end of the table. The

greater value then to ide posit a ball in ione ofthe larger openingsas it requires greater skilled the parser the player. if a ball is deposited in one of the smaller openings it drops onto theledge 41 and may be seen through: the plastic cover 40. Thetballs deposited in the larger openings drop onto the bottom wall 36' and may bfeseen through the plastic section 46 of the trap doors 44. After all the balls are deposited in the openings of the target the player can then count his score. To'return the balls to the game table, the player pulls on the rod 55 to swing the trap doors 44 to openposition which allows the balls on ledge 41 to roll down the outer face of the trap doors onto the table and. the balls on the bottom 56' to roll onto the table. As the boards is inclined the balls upon release will roll towards the front end of the table until arrested by the shoulders 32 on the upper edges of partitions 3t) which support the balls inproper position. Thus it is seen I have provided a game apparatus which requires dexterity in manipulating 'the keys to propel the balls to deposit them in the openings of the target having the greatest value.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts maybe made without depart ing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a game board having an inclined plane surface of a compartment at the lower end of the plane surface, a series of spaced parallel levers pivotally mounted in said compartment below the level of the plane surface adapted to swing upwardly in the direction of the game table, a series of vertical partitions "between said levers having their upper edges in a plane contiguous with the surface of the game board in a plane above the free ends of said levers, iballs supported on the upper edges of said partitions above the free ends of said levers, and a series of rockably mounted keys in said compartment having their inner ends disposed beneath the lower edges of-said levers adapted to swing said levers upwardly when the forward end of said keys are depressed whereby the balls are projectedalong the game board. 5

5 g r r 4 A j 2. A ball projecting mechanism for game tables having a playing surface inclined downwardly from one end to the other end, a series of compartments contiguous 1 with the lower end of the playing surface below the level thereof, the side walls of said compartments being spaced apart a distance to support on their upper edges the balls to be projected, the upper edges of the side walls being in the same plane as the'playi'ng'surfacaa lever pivotally mounted at one'end in each compartment for swinging movement towards the lower end of the playing surface, means normally supporting the freee'nd of said levers below the level of. the upper edges of the sidewalls of said' compartments, and a' series'ofkeys rockably mounted beneath the free ends of said levers adapted to be selectively actuated to swing said levers in an upward direction to strike the balls.

3. A ball projecting mechanism for game table s having a playing surface inclined downwardlyzfrom oneend to the other end comprising a' compartment contiguous. with the lower end of the playing surface below the level thereof, a vertical panel extending transversely oflsaid compartment in spaced apart relation to th'e'low'erend' of the playing surface, a, series -of levers .pivotally mounted at one end in 'saidlcompartmenttfor swinging, movement in an upward direction towards the lower end of the playing surface, said levers having their free ends normally supported by said panel below the level of the playing surface,.vertical partitions between said levers having their upper edges disposed in the same plane as the playing surface adapted to support theiballs, to be projected,,and a series of keys -rockably mounted beneath the lower edge of said panel having one end upon depressing the opposite end of said keys.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,449,432 Wheeler Sept. ,14; 194s, 2,504,818 Findon Apr L18, 1956' 2,509,666 Armstrong May 3.0, 1950, 2,535,225 Oczkowski ,Dec. 26,1950: 2,573,575 Sire Decll, 1951' 2,675,238 Leaf r Apr, 11 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS .f I 176,651 Great Britain Mar. 16,119,22 

